Chapter Title: The Ones Who Do Not Wait
The air shifted long before anything appeared.
Azrael felt it first.
Not as pressure.
Not as presence.
But as absence.
Something in the world… pulled back.
The wind slowed.
The distant crackle of fire dimmed.
Even the faint movement of ash in the air seemed to hesitate, as though reality itself was bracing for something it could not resist.
Azrael’s eyes narrowed.
“…They’re already here.”
The woman did not look surprised.
“I told you they wouldn’t wait.”
Her voice was calm, but her gaze had sharpened, scanning the sky with quiet intensity.
Azrael adjusted his grip on Quinn, his stance shifting slightly despite the lingering weakness in his body. The healing had stabilized him, but it had not restored him.
Not even close.
His system f
